Cleveland, Ohio – A new grade of thermoplastic polyurethane for 3D printing has been introduced by Lubrizol, under a selective availability programme. Estane 3D TPU M88A is designed for use with HP’s Jet Fusion 5200 series 3D printers.
The TPU is described as a flexible, highly durable material that is suitable for production parts. It can also be used to print complex geometries and lattice structures. It is soft and flexible, with good processing and unpacking properties for the powder bed fusion printers.
Printing times with the material can be reduced by 45% compared to the Lubrizol TPUs that are currently on the market.
It allows softer TPU-based lattice designs to be made that can be dyed rather than coated, giving brighter colours. Applications include prosthetics and orthotics, and a range of other consumer, industrial and automotive applications.
Developed in collaboration with HP, it was tested at both the Avid Product Development and Lubrizol Advanced Materials facilities, in conjunction with beta-partner Prototal.
‘The team has been working diligently with our partners to develop a new grade that is flexible, durable with good aesthetics and design flexibility, while maximising operational efficiencies for our customers by minimizing manual labour needed,’ said Gert-Jan Nijhuis, general manager for Lubrizol 3D Printing Solutions.
